# Where Do African Clawed Frogs Live?

> Where african clawed frogs live: Ponds, lakes, and slow waters, native range cues, and human overlap. Status Least Concern.

- **Species:** African Clawed Frog (*Xenopus laevis*)
- **Conservation status:** Least Concern
- **Diet:** Carnivore (insects, worms, small animals)
- **Habitat:** Ponds, lakes, and slow waters
- **Lifespan:** 15+ years
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/african-clawed-frog/where-do-african-clawed-frog-live/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/african-clawed-frog/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

The African clawed frog is a fully aquatic frog from sub-Saharan Africa, named for the small dark claws on its hind feet. It has a flat body, no tongue or visible eardrum, and uses sensitive fingers and a lateral-line system to find food in murky water. Widely used in scientific research and kept as a pet, it can live 15 years or more.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need a sighting hotline. This page is native range and habitat.

## Behavior and adaptations

African clawed frogs spend almost their entire lives underwater, coming to the surface only to breathe. They lack a tongue and teeth, so they shove food into their mouths with their front fingers, and they use a sensitive lateral-line system along their bodies to detect movement in the water. The small black claws on their hind toes give the species its name and help tear apart food.

## Help protect the African Clawed Frog

Even familiar animals lose ground as wild habitat keeps shrinking worldwide.

[Donate to wildlife protection](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/donate/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/african-clawed-frog/where-do-african-clawed-frog-live/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.